Allendale County, South Carolina
Allendale County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,039, making it the least populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is Allendale.
History
Allendale County was formed in 1919 from southwestern portions of Barnwell County, along the Savannah River, and part of Hampton County, just to its south. It is the location of the Topper Site, an archeological excavation providing possible evidence of a pre-Clovis culture dating back 50,000 years. The site is near a source of chert on private land in Martin owned by Clariant Corporation, a Swiss chemical company with a plant there. The site, named after John Topper, a nt who discovered it, has been under excavation by archeologists from the University of South Carolina for about one month a year since 1999, after an initial exploratory dig in the mid-1980s.Allendale County was born out of a desire for convenience. Having a new county circumvented the need to travel to the courthouse in Barnwell or Hampton. The original Allendale County Courthouse burned down in May 1998, with reconstruction begun in August 2002. During the Civil Rights movement, the Courthouse almost became a site for a sit-in protest after African-American citizens charged officials with deliberately delaying the voter registration of Black residents.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The Savannah River forms the county's western border with Georgia.Allendale is from Augusta, Georgia; from Savannah, Georgia; from Columbia; and from Charleston. Before interstate highways were built, Allendale had several motels, primarily serving travelers in-between Northeastern states and Florida. Traffic that formerly traveled US 301 through Allendale now uses Interstate 95.
Major water bodies
Adjacent counties
- Bamberg County – northeast
- Colleton County – east
- Hampton County – southeast
- Screven County, Georgia – southwest
- Burke County, Georgia – west
- Barnwell County – northwest
Major highways
*Major infrastructure
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,039, 3,281 households, and 1,389 families. The median age was 47.2 years, with medians of 51.4 for women and 44.5 for men; 16.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 112.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 114.0 males age 18 and over.The racial makeup of the county was 25.0% White, 70.4% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.7% from some other race, and 2.1% from two or more races, while Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 3,281 households in the county, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 43.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 4,040 housing units, exceeding the number of households and of which 18.8% were vacant; among occupied units 64.4% were owner-occupied and 35.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%, while the median household size was 2.
2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 10,419 people, 3,706 households, and 2,333 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 4,486 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 73.6% Black or African American, 23.7% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, and 5.6% were American.Of the 3,706 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% were married couples living together, 26.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.0% were non-families, and 33.7% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 38.8 years.
The median household income was $20,081 and the median family income was $25,146. Males had a median income of $30,440 versus $28,889 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,190. About 35.7% of families and 42.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 53.8% of those under age 18 and 27.4% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 11,211 people, 3,915 households, and 2,615 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 4,568 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 71.0 percent Black or African American, 27.37 percent White, 0.12 percent Asian, 0.09 percent Native American, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 0.85 percent from other races, and 0.51 percent from two or more races. 1.61 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.Of the 3,915 households, 30.3 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8 percent were married couples living together, 25.8 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2 percent were non-families. 30.0 percent of all households were one person and 12.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.21.
The age distribution was 26.6 percent under the age of 18, 9.8 percent from 18 to 24, 28.2 percent from 25 to 44, 22.8 percent from 45 to 64, and 12.7 percent who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 108.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.5 males.
The median household income was $20,898 and the median family income was $27,348. Males had a median income of $25,930 versus $20,318 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,293. About 28.4 percent of families and 34.5 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.1 percent of those under age 18 and 26.00 percent of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
County Council
Allendale County has a five-member council elected from single-member districts. The council has a single chairman. Council members serve four-year terms.| 2020 | |
| District 1 | Theresa Taylor |
| District 2 | James White, Jr. |
| District 3 | Willa Jennings |
| District 4 | Matthew Connelly, Chair |
| District 5 | William Robinson, Vice Chair |
S.C. Senate
Leading up to the 2020 Census Redistricting, Allendale County was divided between Senate districts 40 and 45. Senate District 40 has been represented by Democrat and Minority Leader Brad Hutto since 1996. Democrat Margie Bright Matthews has represented District 45 since 2015, after she was elected to the position to fulfill the unexpired term of Clementa C. Pinckney.Following the redistricting, which will be used in the 2024 United States elections despite legal disputes over racial and political gerrymandering, Allendale County is solely covered by state Senate District 40.
| Name | Years Active | Party | District | Other Counties |
| Henry Johnson | 1920–1923 | At-large | ||
| Robinson Plato Searson, Jr. | 1923–1926 1931–1938 | At-large | ||
| George Dunbar Kirkland | 1927–1930 | At-large | ||
| James Martin Thomas | 1939–1942 1947–1950 | At-large | ||
| William Edwin Myrick | 1943–1946 1951–1962 | At-large | ||
| Audrey Patterson Williams | 1963–1966 | At-large | ||
| Edgar Allan Brown | 1967–1972 | Democratic | 18 12 | Bamberg, Barnwell |
| James P. Harrelson | 1973–1976 | Democratic | 15 | Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
| James Madison Wadell, Jr. | 1973–1984 | Democratic | 15 | Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
| William Tindall Howell | 1977–1979 | Democratic | 15 | Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
| Peden B. McLeod | 1980–1990 | Democratic | 15 45 | Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
| John W. Matthews Jr. | 1985–2002 | Democratic | 39 | Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Dorchester, Orangeburg |
| McKinley Washington Jr. | 1990–1992 | Democratic | 45 | Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
| Bradley Hutto | 2003–present | Democratic | 40 40 | Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton, Orangeburg |
| Clementa Pinckney | 2003–2015 | Democratic | 45 | Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
| Margie Bright Matthews | 2015–2024 | Democratic | 45 | Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper |
U.S. Presidential elections
Allendale County has been consistently Democratic in Presidential voting since 1976 and was among the few counties to be carried by Walter Mondale in 1984. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election Barack Obama received 75.3 percent of the county's vote. In the 2012 U.S. presidential election Barack Obama received 79.2 percent of the county's vote. In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Joe Biden received 75.6% of the vote. In 2024, the county saw a slight rightward shift, but it was still by far the most Democratic county in the state of South Carolina in that election.Economy
Allendale is primarily an agricultural rural county. Its primary products are cotton, soybeans, watermelon and cantaloupe. Timbering is also important, primarily for paper pulp.In 2022, Allendale's GDP was $317.5 million. In chained 2017 dollars, its real GDP was $240.4 million. From 2021 through 2024, its unemployment rate has fluctuated between 4-8%.
, some of the largest employers in the county include Atlantic Power Corporation, AZ Electronic Materials, Georgia-Pacific, South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), and the University of South Carolina.
| Industry | Employment Counts | Employment Percentage | Average Annual Wage |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 46 | 2.0 | 15,808 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 13 | 0.6 | 28,600 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 117 | 5.0 | 46,124 |
| Construction | 20 | 0.9 | 30,472 |
| Educational Services | 280 | 12.0 | 50,336 |
| Finance and Insurance | 30 | 1.3 | 38,740 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 360 | 15.4 | 43,264 |
| Manufacturing | 782 | 33.5 | 85,228 |
| Other Services | 4 | 0.2 | 18,200 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 32 | 1.4 | 51,064 |
| Public Administration | 382 | 16.4 | 49,868 |
| Retail Trade | 140 | 6.0 | 19,708 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 58 | 2.5 | 53,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 68 | 2.9 | 58,708 |
| Total | 2,332 | 100.0% | 57,969 |
Education
Colleges and universities
- USC-Salkahatchie : Robert McNair, Democratic Governor of South Carolina from 1965 to 1971, moved to Allendale County as an adult because his wife was from there. Because of McNair's influence, USC Salk is located in the town of Allendale.
- Denmark Tech: Part of the state Technical College System, Denmark Tech serves the county from its location in Bamberg County, from Allendale.
K-12 education
There is one school district: Allendale County School District.Allendale County School District includes one high school: Allendale-Fairfax High School. The former C. V. Bing High School served African-American students until desegregation. Allendale Training School preceded it.